


Won't You Come Away?

by TheNameIsErronBlack



Category: No Fandom, Original Work
Genre: F/M, Friends to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-08
Updated: 2018-02-22
Packaged: 2018-08-20 04:29:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8236106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheNameIsErronBlack/pseuds/TheNameIsErronBlack
Summary: Jack takes his best friend Madison to the movies for a not-date and makes a fascinating discovery.





	1. Chapter 1

Finally, it was over. Fueled by self-righteous indignation, Jack took his stand before his meager audience, strode forth to the front desk, and delivered the manifestation of all his hard work, being sure to leave his professor with an obligatory "enjoy your summer" before beginning the final march towards freedom. The air in the hall, though stiff, was remarkably crisper than the suffocating nightmare only a few feet from him, but he would only have to endure it for a few more life-sucking moments. With a newfound spring in his triumphant step, he hurried his pace. Now was the critical time. If he was swift, he would be able to make it home unscathed and undetected. She was smart, but she also took her sweet time taking her tests. All he had to do was-

"Jack! Hey, Jack!"

Damn it all. He was so close. It would've been pointless to resist at this point. He remained ramrod stiff as Madison, the human pest, raced over to him.

"Jack, hey. Where are you going?" Perpetually equipped with that sweet, knowing smile, she feigned interest, holding her hands behind her back and slightly swaying back and forth.

A heavy sigh of resignation. "Home."

"Can I come?"

"No."

"Aww, c'mon. Plllllleeease?" Now she was up in his face, her classic smile spread. Though he had known her for some time now and had gotten rather good at maintaining his cool, there was no denying she knew how to push his buttons.

"No."

Her traditional protests had been ceased and she was pouting and darting her eyes back and forth. That would not sway his resolve. Still, she probably wanted something, and it was best to get it out the way now. Perhaps the day and what little of his sanity remained could still be salvaged. "What is it?"

Still fidgeting and rubbing one arm with the other, she turned to face him. "Casey and I were going to see the new big scary movie tonight, but she bailed on me."

His heart skipped several beats; she wanted to go out with him. On a date. A _movie_ date. Sure, he had gotten fairly apt at keeping her in check after knowing her for around two years, but this was unprecedented. The plan was to take this last final exam, leg it, and spend the rest of the day in a coma, free from his second year of high school, but now Jack had to either spurn her and deal with having to owe her or go on an an actual, legitimate, honest-to-goodness date with her. The cyanide capsule or the electric chair. Keeping a blank facial expression, and desperately hoping the heat radiating from his face was the result of the rays of the hot Summer sun, he turned the wheel of fate. "Fine."

Madison's expression instantly brightened. Practically beaming, she was almost completely up in his face. "Really?"

Another somewhat forced sigh of resignation. "Yes, I'll watch your stupid horror movie."

Regret washed over him as the petite yet shockingly powerful girl before him nearly tackled him to the ground with a hug, securing a vice-like grip around his neck and wrapping her legs around his torso. As it always did, his heart rate skyrocketed, his palms were flooded, and he felt an overpowering urge to dig a hole and hide.

"You didn't actually have plans with Casey, did you?" He mumbled into her, remembering that not rejecting her advances essentially communicated that he enjoyed her behavior.

"Nope."

"Why do I let you trick me?"

"Because you love me, silly." Her hot breath on his ear made his skin crawl.

* * *

"I still don't know why we have to do this."

"Because I hate these uniforms and I look way hotter without them."

For whatever bizarre reason, Madison insisted on utilizing his house to change. Her invasive nature became quite an annoyance as she got along exceptionally well, for whatever baffling reason, with Jack's mother and brother. Whenever there was some doubtlessly momentous event at school or a movie with the advertising budget of the gross domestic product of a small European nation, she would always inquire as to whether Madison was going and how he should totally ask her. Much worse, however, was his brother, who constantly commented on how he should "pounce" on Madison and endlessly regaled him with tips as to getting her to "drop her undergarments". Seeing her outside of the uniform was sufficient motivation for him to concede to her request, though. He would suffer through that minor impediment to reach the much, much greater goal.

"I look even better without anything on."

Jack, unpredictable as a sunrise, heaved a forced sigh as he rolled his eyes. He wasn't immune to her teasing, but he had developed a certain resistance to it, however minimal. Her burying her face in his chest precluded her from seeing his mild blush, mercifully.

"Do you mind?" Attempting to retrieve his keys with the parasite embedded in his side was a Herculean effort considering it was like maneuvering around a minefield covered in lasers and barbed wire. She would take the slightest touch as a sign of immediate weakness.

"Fiiiiine." Her voice dropped by a few octaves and she crossed her arms.

* * *

The initial appraisal was a positive one. The clock read five, meaning she was most likely home, but his mother was nowhere to be found. Not sprawled across the couch watching television, not on the phone in the living room, not making dinner for herself. Perfect.

"Let's make it snap-"

"Jack?"

Damning his insufficient skills of perception, he reflexively squeezed his eyes shut. "Hi, mom."

It would only take a few seconds until for the inevitable recitation. "Oh, hey, Madison!" There it was.

"Hello, misses Henry." Courteous as always. Before he could reduce himself to such torture, Jack made his way upstairs. He made a ritual of hurling his uniform into the back end of the closet on the final day, and he had no intention of breaking it. He also had to quickly find the right clothing. For some unaccountable reason, he felt the insatiable need to be absolutely sure that he looked acceptable for his not-date. It wasn't as if he _actually_ cared about what she thought of him, or something like that, but he did his best to look presentable at all times, and this was one of those times. After leaving the two to enjoy each others company, the quest for proper clothing began. Thankfully, he had a modest collection of formal get-ups supplemented by his brother's promise that he had access to his entire wardrobe for situations just like this one.

The red long-sleeved shirt? No, too hot outside.

A black- no, black attracted heat. Thank goodness he paid attention in class.

Scrunching his face, his mind wandered to the anxiety presently making his stomach a carnival. It had to end. This was Madison. Annoying, dorky, goofy Madison. No need to be anxious. Besides, she seemed to adore him regardless of his defects, physical or otherwise. That was something he liked about her. How she would accept people, flaws and all, without objection or complaint. With that knowledge to mollify his pervasive anxiety and fluttering stomach he settled on a grey-ish v-neck and jeans. Simple, but effective. Taking a moment for a final appraisal, he returned to the living room to retrieve his guest.

"So," Mrs. Henry stated with aplomb. "You and Madison are going to the movies."

"Yeah. We've been slaving away for the past two weeks and deserve a celebration." His voice was uncharacteristically cheerful. The subtle smirk on her face certainly didn't help.

"If you're looking for your date, she's changing in the bathroom upstairs."

"I choose to ignore that."

He also chose to ignore her more than slightly amused 'have fun'.

* * *

_Knockknockknock._ "You in there?"

"Wanna join me?"

"What did you think of that last essay question? Seemed kind of ambiguous." Questions about her school work always diverted her attention.

"Oh, drat. I spent at least twenty minutes putting it all together, but that dick Crawford wouldn't extend the test time." His query had the unfortunate effect of jump-starting her latent and perpetually present scholastic anxiety. With the benefit of hindsight, it was rather cruel of him to use her greatest weakness simply because he didn't want to contend with her innuendos and teasing.

"Relax, okay? Do remember what your grades were on the last four million history tests you've taken since the age of three?"

"Well, yeah-"

"Okay, then. You did fine. The Earth and waters will not open up if you get a ninety-eight, alright?"

Despite the lack of visual context, he was certain his words were reliving.

"Yeah. I guess. That guy is still a dick, though."

"Yes, he is." He made no effort to hide his smile. They liked to joke around quite a bit, but Madison, he felt, was the one person on the planet he could go to for anything without the gnawing dread that came with exposure, and he knew she felt the same way about him. A few months prior, she had revealed she placed so much stock in her academics because she despised her being an adopted child and hoped to someday have enough money to keep her family together regardless of circumstance. Not long after that, he told her about the horror of his father's wrath whenever he would do something as small as spill a glass of water as a child and the paradoxical melancholy that continued to plague him long after he walked out. The two, cognizant of each others pain, carried on laughing and joking among their friends. Despite how much of a pest she could be, he begrudgingly conceded that Madison was, by process of elimination based on how much time they spent together and how well they knew each other, his 'best friend'.

A creak of the door. "Because if you're going to be thinking about school the whole, we can end this da-" He was grateful that he was unable to finish the thought. There was no denying it: she was jaw-droppingly, heart-stoppingly, universe-shatteringly beautiful. A black dress that his remarkably poor knowledge of the fashion world told him was exceptionally expensive, silk stockings-

"So," She quietly squeaked out. "You ready to go?"

Grateful that she cut off his shameless examination, his mind prepared a cogent response. "Buh, yeah. Let's, uh, go to the thing." That would have to do.

* * *

"Are you going to hang on to me the whole way there?" The moment the two stepped outside, she resumed her magnetic bond to his stomach.

"Mmmhmm." Another mumble.

Returning his gaze to the sun, the two started their dutiful march to the movie theater. Hopefully, if he was quick enough, he would be able to-

" _Oh, shit."_ A familiar figure approaching from the horizon nearly stopped Jack dead. Please, please, please don't let it be him. _Anyone_ but him.

"Jack, hey, where you heading?"

His spine was cold. Once the creature was close enough, he hustled over to the pair.

"Madison, good to see you."

"Pleasure as always, Ray."

His elation at seeing Madison glued to Jack's side was blatant. Being one of those prototypical, twenty-something Wall Street yuppies, Ray spent half his waking moments chasing women and felt his brother should do the same. "So, where you guys heading?"

"We're going to the movies." Jack curtly cut him off.

"The movies? Cool, cool. Whatcha seein'?"

"Creature from the Woods 2. It's gonna be hilarious." Madison turned to face him and proffered an answer.

Ray nodded in approval. "Looks scary. You two have fun. And watch out for Jason Voorhees." He concluded by placing his hand on Jack's shoulder, giving him a wink once he was sure Madison couldn't see it.

* * *

"And you say I have terrible taste in films."

"What is wrong with you? This is gonna be the best comedy of the year."

Having finally arrived at their destination, the conversation had switched to the subject of the movie in question. Jack found himself musing on the fact that he and Madison could seemingly talk for hours about any subject. Movies, food, school, history. It didn't matter.

"Oh, please. Perpetually inebriated college kids vacationing in the woods with a focus on the non-threatening, generically attractive female lead? Check. Trailer with dramatic jump-cuts? Check. Supernatural entity that looks like it's made of noodles? Freakin' check. This is impossibly dumb."

"Don't be such a cynic, mister film-school wanna-be. Besides, we're here together. Isn't that what really counts?"

"Where are the tickets?" Had to focus on something else.

She tapped his chest pocket with two of her fingers. "You have them, remember?"

His heart stopped. "When did this happen?"

A laugh escaped her mouth. "You were distracted the whole time. Don't think I didn't notice you checking me out."

As it so often did, heat rose to his face. Jack had been so swept up in his enjoyment that only now did it truly dawn on him that this scenario actually highly resembled a date. It totally wasn't, though. The two of them were like brother and sister. No, wait, that was kind of gross. Teacher and student? No. He had done pretty well in school, but she was top of the class. Maybe they were lik-

"Hey," The bald, burly ticket attendant interrupted his quest into deep thought. "Are you two lovebirds just gonna stand there, or what?"

"Shit, yes!" Eyes bulging, he took his tickets from the matchmaker and hurried Madison along. "Sorry!"

* * *

"Is the back okay?"

"Oh, Jack, what a forward boy you are."

A classic roll of the eyes. "You know what I mean."

A laugh. "Yeah."

They took their seats and Jack put his feet up. Friday night for a new release meant the theater was packed to the brim. He was grateful to have a seat beside Madison.

"Jack," Something in her voice made his heart drop. It was exceptionally rare to experience Madison being deathly serious. "Can I be honest for a second?"

His nerves had been coated in ice. He turned to face her, mouth slightly unhinged, totally stunned.

"I know you can be kind of pig-headed sometimes. Okay, a lot of the time, but that doesn't matter. Casey said that I should be even more overt," His heart rate was fast escaping triple digits. "But have I not been clear enough, or something? Am I doing something wrong?"

Jack dug his hands into his seat to steady himself. "I-I don't understand."

Madison ran her hands over her face. "Look at me, Jack!" As if he needed further encouragement. "I bought this piece of shit dress, these shoes which cost me over two hundred dollars, and these tickets because, and let me crystal clear here, I'm into you," His opinion on the fact was ambiguous, if one were to ask him in the moment. "I dropped you so many hints and I waited for you to make a move, but I just can't stand it anymore." She gave a final, weak shrug to conclude her diatribe.

Jack gulped. He knew all the teasing, innuendos, and time spent together meant that she didn't necessarily dislike him, but there was no way someone as beautiful, intelligent, funny, and caring like Madison would be attracted to an ugly, embarrassing loser like him. Girls like her went on to be world famous scientists who would hang out with NFL quarterbacks and politicians and stuff like that. "I-I guess, uh, wow," He took a breath. "I'm sorry. I just don't know what to say. I mean, I like you, too, like, as a friend," Seeing her expression instantly switch to despondent dread forced him to backtrack. "But, but, but I also like you like you. Oh, crap, I sound like I'm six years old. But, but, but, yes, I would absolutely love to date you."

And there it was. The words had not been formed properly in his mind, but instinct forced their escape. Madison made no attempt to hide her exuberance as she hurled her arms around him. The immediate takeaway was that she was exceptionally warm and smelled like something blissful. "I guess I was convinced someone like you would never be into me." It was his turn to muffle his words into her. Madison's classic brilliant smile made his heart soar. The impossibly beautiful girl with jet black hair was into him. Life, as it turned out, was pretty great.

"Excuse me, are these seats taken?" The two were hurled from their bliss by a group of their fellow moviegoers.

"Wait." Jack prepared to move before Madison clamped her hands over his shoulders and gracefully leaped over into his lap, something he couldn't help but allow. If he was hard of hearing, he could've sworn she was purring. She was certainly curled up next to him like a cat.

* * *

"I think I left my backpack in my house. And my uniform is in it." The night was nearly concluded.

Jack's mouth arched to the side. "Pick it up anytime."

Apropos of nothing, Madison cupped his cheeks in her hands and crashed her lips against his, another thing he couldn't help but allow. They were impossibly soft and tasted like strawberries.

With their impromptu kissing session concluded, she gave him a tiny, shy smile. "I better head in before my mom gets super pissed."

His mouth ready to fly off his face, Jack waited until his wonderful, incredibly gorgeous girlfriend made her way inside. She really did look fantastic in that dress.


	2. Chapter 2

"Alright. It's cold and I'm tired."

"Hey, you're the one who wanted a lovely midnight stroll in the freezing cold. I volunteered to remain inside like a normal human being."

"Shut that pretty little trap of yours, or I'll do it for you."

It was indeed Madison's suggestion to take a walk around town under the cover of darkness. There was a serene quality to the air when the ether was dominated by utter silence with the exception of the wind and ambience of Earth. Being suction-cupped to Jack's incredibly warm stomach was also pretty fantastic in its own respect. Her anticipation for cuddling up with him became too much to handle despite the pleasant experience.

"Thanks again for letting me meet all your awesome relatives."

As was so often the case, Madison's parents were out of town for the holidays. Luckily, Jack's mother had insisted on having her attend Christmas dinner at Jack's uncle's house downtown and spending the remainder of the break at their house. Predictably, they were all the 'hey how ya doin-c'mon in-let me shake your hand and give you a bear hug-sit and eat several human beings worth of food-oh no I insist' types, and they held no qualms about indulging every one of her queries regarding Jack and his familial history, much to his chagrin. Easily her most treasured memory of the night was when she introduced herself to Jack's grandfather.

" _Someone in this town I've never met before? Why, that's absurd."_

" _Hello, mister Sullivan. I'm Madison, Jack's girlfriend."_

The look on his face. She may as well have said "I'm here to deliver your weekly million dollar paycheck." Jack blushed furiously, making it even sweeter.

"They loved you, surprise, surprise." A few swift motions with his keys, and they could finally once again bask in the warmth of human civilization.

With supernatural haste, she slipped off her gloves and undid her snow-wreathed coat as Jack followed suit. "Unsurprising. I am impeccably charming, sweet, funny, gorgeous…"

"I'm truly stunned that such a colossal ego can fit in such a small girl."

He deserved to be punished for such a remark. To that end, she wrapped her arms around his waist, made a quick leap, and secured herself on his back.

"Just for that, you can carry me upstairs. I'm too tired to walk, anyway."

* * *

"And you say _I'm_ lazy." He plopped her on his bed.

"You are lazy. I'm just lazi _er._ "

That got a laugh out of him as he made his way to the exit. "You are ridiculous. Good thing I'm done with you for the night."

Now, granted, Jack was demonstrably unaware of her blatantly obvious interest in him, but how exactly could the opportunity-with-bells-on escape him? His mental faculties were clearly diminished in some appreciable fashion.

"Where do you think you're going?"

He turned back to face her in abject confusion. "I'm not going to let you sleep on the couch. You're the guest." A matter-of-fact conclusion.

Madison returned a scowl to him. "Nuh-uh. No way. Get your cute little ass back here and cuddle with me. I need someone to keep me warm." She gave the bed a few quick pats to entice him.

Once again, his cheeks burned despite the wailing cold outside. "Uh, no, that's cool. The couch is f-fin-"

Before he could make another ridiculous objection, Madison defied her previous declaration in order to pry open an adjacent window. Despite the relatively mild chill that filled the room, she wrapped her arms around her torso and shook her body as if she was in the middle of a hailstorm of chaos.

"Achchhchhchchmyteetharechatteringacchcch."

Jack clearly lacked her threshold for lower temperatures. It took only a nanosecond for him to hustle over in an attempt to undo her handywork, presenting her with an opportune time to strike. In one swift motion, she brought her hands to her chest and used every ounce of strength in her tiny frame to shove her boyfriend on his bed. Without giving him any respite from her assault, she jumped on her prey, keeping her knees beneath his arms and her fingers in his sides to prevent him from escaping.

"Stop!" He choked out between forced giggles from her tickling. "Please!"

Madison felt a familiar swelling her stomach at how adorable the boy before her was. "I can tell you want to run away, but you're all mine now. Even more than usual." Feeling he had suffered enough from her attack, she wrapped her arms around the neck of her adorable prisoner and joined him below the blankets, nuzzling her head into his shoulder. All the times she would rest in his lap during lunch or class before they started dating were fantastic, but this was their first honest-to-goodness cuddling session, and it was every bit as spectacular as she had dreamed.

"There we go. Now I'm just gonna hook my leg around your butt. That way I can take all your warmth."

With his eyes half open, Jack gave her a tender peck on the cheek. "Why can't I resist you?" His voice was extremely cute when it was groggy like that. It made her squeeze him tighter.

Madison returned the favor. "Because you love me, silly."


	3. Chapter 3

One last time, Jack checked the time on his phone before wrapping the towel around the breadth of his lower body. He certainly had more than enough time to make it to Metro-North. He would most likely be taking off from work early, so he had to rush in to make up for it.

"Mornin', hot stuff," A distant voice sniffled out. "Love the view. You should walk around like that more often."

It only took a brief glance for his heart to shatter. He would've gladly traded his own health and comfort for Madison's cornucopia of symptoms without objection or complaint, but there was little he could do beyond fulfill the obligations of a dutiful partner. With a hefty sigh, he lowered his body to the edge of the bed and gently cupped her cheek.

"You're burning, baby, and you should still be asleep," A test the previous night indicated that her temperature seemingly swam between 103 and 104. "I promise to come home with enough soup and cough drops to open my own pharmacy."

Her soft, fleeting smile turned into a scowl. "What do you mean 'come home', buck-o?"

"You know I love you, but-"

"Fine. I guess I'll just stay here with my sore throat, cold, flu, 104 temperature, and headache," She croaked out. "While you run off to your super-duper important job. I suppose I'll just have my other fiance take off from work. I bet he would want to take care of me and bring me soup and let me fall asleep watching a movie wrapped up in his broad, strong arms that make me feel all safe and cozy. Mmmhmm. He's, like, the best boyfriend ever. I should totally introduce you two. The thought alone is already making me feel better."

The smile that flashed on Jack's face for an iota of a nanosecond was totally undetectable to strangers, but it meant all the world to Madison. Victory was assured. He sucked in his lips in an attempt to hide his amusement and made his way back to bed. "Why can't I say no to you?"

Victorious, Madison methodically wrapped her arms around Jack's neck before letting herself fall back on the glorious pillow. "Because you looovve meeee," She softly singsonged. "Now, throw pesky towel somewhere far away and get over here."


	4. Chapter 4

"So let me tell you a story. It was two years ago in biology class."

"Oh, no. Please don't."

"Shh. Shut up. Let me recount my tale. So I was sitting there, mindin' my own business, when this guy comes up to me."

Instantly, he dodged her gaze. She tightened her grip on his body and took his silence as the impetus to move forward.

"This guy sits next to me and asks if he can read along with me because he forgot his textbook. I had never really seen this guy before, but he was cute and a little shy, totally harmless."

She could see his cheeks light up. "I'm neither shy nor cute."

Madison _loved_ knowing she could make Jack blush. "So I later just so happened to notice this cute, shy guy actually had the textbook in his backpack." At that point, an insatiable fit of laughter was unstoppable. Truth be told, she had no idea if Jack actually had a crush on her prior to their first encounter, but it didn't particularly matter her since he was all her's now.

His cheeks still burning, he finally proffered a response: "I suppose there's no use in hiding it: yes, I thought you were pretty and you seemed nice. I admit it. I'm never going to live that down, am I?"

"As far as pickup tactics go, it wasn't that bad. It was very sweet, just like the rest of you." The thought was punctuated with a light kiss on his cheek as the two continued their journey across the water's edge. Jack enjoyed the movies, and Madison adored the walkway immediately adjacent to the theater. Plus, movie dates meant Jack was seated in one location for an extended period of time, meaning she could suction cup herself to him. The concurrent rhythm of Jack's heartbeat and the soft collision of the waves and rocks were truly something sublime.

"Well, at least you don't have to be sly about checking out my ass. And don't even try to deny it; I've seen you do it."

A look of absolute dread flashed on his face. Madison guffawed as Jack sucked in his lips.

"Don't worry about it. I've checked out your ass _a lot,"_ The thought was concluded with a firm slap on Jack's behind, which forced him to bolt upright. "Love me some of that boy booty." It was true, she had done quite a bit of examining of Jack's body even before they began dating.

"Oh, this spot looks good. Plant your cute little ass right here." Madison found a passage of grass that she felt was perfect for stargazing. She felt as if she could melt into Jack as she buried her face into his chest.

"I've come to the conclusion that you were a cat in a previous life, seeing as you glom onto me every chance you get."

"I was definitely a beautiful, spoiled Egyptian goddess."

"You are beautiful, and a goddess. And I do spoil you."

The comment made her feel as if a syringe full of sugar had been injected directly into her bloodstream. She stared, wide-eyed, at Jack. He returned in kind with a look of concern, as if she had revealed her true origin.

"What? What's wrong? Is everything okay?"

" _Thoughts. Words. Basic human interaction, McKenna."_ Madison had to tell herself to keep it together. Typically, it was Jack who was flustered while she would do the flustering.

"No...No everything's great, it's just…"

He moved her hair out of her eyes and cupped her cheeks. "Just what?"

Inhaling once last deep breath, she at last responded: "I liked what you said about me." It was the truth. She was well aware that Jack cared about her deeply, but he was nowhere near as openly affection as her. She initiated the public displays of affection, the cuddling, the kissing, the compliments, so hearing even something as minor as that made her heart soar.

That devilish side grin appeared once again. It had a tendency to manifest whenever Jack felt a brief spur of intense bravado. "Ahh, so you like hearing that, do you?" You like hearing how much I adore you? How special you are to me and how glad I am that you're mine?" His grip on her waist tightened.

"Ooh, a squeeze? What a naughty boy you are. You usually hold me like I'm made of glass."

His devious confidence instantly vaporized, replaced by that classic blush. Madison brought her face ever-so-close to his so their lips were almost but not quite touching. "I thought you liked having girls next to you, all nice and close."

"I do spoil you."

"But I'm so lovable and sweet, you know I'm worth it."


	5. Chapter 5

"What do you want for your birthday?"

She put her index finger on her chin, raised an eyebrow, and pursed her lips. It was all part of the joke, presumably. "Mmm...nothing."

"Come on. Don't do that."

"Whatever do you mean, my dear?"

"Last year I asked you if you wanted anything for your birthday, and, thankfully, you said no, but now I'm basically obliged to get you something."

"You don't have to get me anything," She leaned right up against his ear. "I just want you, and your perfect self." She accentuated the point with a gentle kiss on his cheek.

He still couldn't stop the warm, almost impossibly pleasant feeling in his chest. He had to look away to avoid her pressing on with her teasing. "I may be the greatest of all presents, but that doesn't mean I can't not get you some other meaningless material good."

"Aww, don't look away, rosie cheeks fit you," She planted herself in front of him just to torture him further. "You know what, on second thought? I know what I want for my birthday."

He perked up and actually met her eyes. "What is it?"

That evil smile of hers reappeared. That could only mean something awful was about to happen.

"Admit that you like my teasing."

Incredulous, Jack once again turned away, not wanting to suffer any more torment. "Okay, on second thought, forget I asked anything. You just cost yourself the hypothetical present of a lifetime because you couldn't keep your mouth closed."

"Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no, you're not getting away that easy," Jack's escape was brought to a swift end as Madison leapt in front of him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "You asked me what I wanted, and I told you. So there it is: admit you like all my teasing."

Jack looked like he wanted to flee and patently refused to make eye contact. He was also relentlessly fidgeting in an attempt to escape from her grasp. "Yes." It was barely above a whisper.

The smile nearly eclipsed the entirety of her face. "What was that? I'm not sure I caught that."

He forced his eyes shut and made a final, complacent sigh. "I do enjoy all your pestering. More often than not it would be the best part of my day and more than once I forced myself into class on shortened days because I knew you would be there."

Their lips crashed together, and Jack was nearly toppled by Madison's elated joy. "Oh my God, that is perfect. I couldn't have asked for a better confession," She would be sure to store the memory somewhere easily accessible. "Wait, I want one more thing!"

His facial expression went from moderately pained to absolutely miserable. "Oh, please."

"Oh, relax, you big dummy, it's not gonna be that bad. Just tell me I'm cute."

Now he looked at her as if she had sprouted an extraneous extremity. "What?"

"It's simple: tell me I'm cute, bitch."

He was struggling to hide a smile. "You're cute."

"Oh, well, how cute?"

"The cutest ever."

"Mmm, there we go," She gave him one final, tender kiss. "My birthday needs have been satisfied. I got Jack to admit he likes me teasing _and_ he thinks I'm cute."


	6. Chapter 6

Jack had informed her the night before that he was feeling a bit under the weather, but he would still struggle on into school in order to help on the upcoming AP Bio lab. She admired his dedication, although privately hoped his resolve stemmed from his desire to spend time with her. 

Still, his weakened state did not preclude him from being tortured.

"Jack, are you sure you're okay?"

He waved off her inquisition. "All good here, not that you actually care."

He was utterly adorable, always putting up the front of the big, tough, manly man. "Are you sure? You look really hot."

That stunned him, and his face immediately flushed. "I, uh, no," He stammered, refusing to make eye contact. "Nope. All good."

She gripped the bottom of her stool and shuffled slightly closer to him. "Your face looks really, really red. Do you want me to take your temperature? I'm gonna take your temperature."

Before he could so much as flinch, she brought her palm to his forehead. He remained still, but looked absolutely miserable doing so. 

"Well, it's not  _ too  _ bad, but can you promise me to get lots of rest when you get home? And take some medicine."

She genuinely wondered if he was going to pass out, but he managed a nod. "Okay. Will do."

Madison smiled. "See? I care about you. Aren't you so happy to have a friend like me? You're such a lucky guy."

There was no disguising that little smirk that found its way onto his pretty little face.

* * *

 " Hi." The two were all cozy in bed, giving her the perfect opportunity to annoy him.  


He shifted his gaze to look directly at her, stone faced.

"Hell-oooo." She singsonged.

He rolled his eyes at her. "You are so weird."

She propped herself up and plopped down on top of him to bring her face closer to his. "I am definitely not weird. I'm just comin' up to your face and saying," She gave him a light kiss on his pretty little mouth. "Hi."

"You are so weird." He responded.

"Oh, stop it. That serious face and those intense eyes aren't fooling anyone, you love when I compliment your pretty face. And I know you're gonna be all like 'Oh, I don't have a pretty face'," She did her best impression of his deep voice. "I'm a big manly man, and manly men don't have pretty faces', okay, you have a pretty face. And you love it when I tell you that you have a pretty face, cuz you have a pretty face."

Her barrage yielded what she wanted: that subtle grin that conveyed everything she needed to know.

"Wanna know what else I like about you? I mean, your face is awesome, but there's so much more." 

"Oh, there's more?" Jack replied sarcastically, though he was clearly intrigued.

"Well, if you wanna know," She resumed her invasion of his personal space. "You should totally go downstairs and get me something to eat, because I'm starving, and your mom's cooking is the bee's knees."

He heaved a sigh and slowly squirmed out from under her. "You are the worst."


End file.
